Roasting system with clean emissions and high thermal efficiency

ABSTRACT

A bean roasting system includes a roasting chamber, a blower, a variable diverter and a controller. The roasting chamber, the blower and the variable diverter each is disposed at least partially within a recirculating gas flow path. The blower is configured to provide a flow stream of gas through the recirculating gas flow path. The variable diverter is configured to split the gas flow path into at least two flow paths including a treated flow path and a bypass flow path. The treated flow path includes a series arrangement of a gas heater and a catalytic converter. The variable diverter is configured to control a percentage of a flow stream of gas that is diverted into the bypass flow path. The controller is configured to activate different predetermined operating modes for the bean roasting system by controlling a state of the variable diverter and a state of the heater.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/835,547, filed Mar. 31, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,013,253, which isa continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/525,328, filed Jul. 29,2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,602,764, which is a continuation-in-part ofU.S. application Ser. No. 15/949,903, filed on Apr. 10, 2018, now U.S.Pat. No. 10,362,798, which claims priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/485,206, filed Apr. 13, 2017, each entitled “ROASTINGSYSTEM WITH CLEAN EMISSIONS AND HIGH THERMAL EFFICIENCY” each of whichis incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure pertains to the roasting of food products,particularly to beans, and more particularly to coffee beans. Yet moreparticularly the present disclosure describes a roasting system that hasimproved gas or air handling to improve both emissions and energyefficiency of the roaster in a compact size.

BACKGROUND

Food roasting machines are in wide use. One particularly common roastingmachine is utilized to prepare coffee beans to be either packaged orground and brewed. The roasting process consumes considerable energyand, without some emissions treatment, emits noxious gases. To reducethe emissions, various solutions have been employed such as those thatutilize high temperature incineration of the output stream along withcostly filtration. The incineration adds to the energy consumption andcomplexity of the roasting system. In addition, the practice ofincineration also often involves installation of costly ventilationsystems, which some buildings are unable to accommodate. There is anongoing need to find better designs that reduce energy consumption andprovide a clean output.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematic of a first embodiment of a roastingsystem.

FIG. 2 is an electrical block diagram of an example roasting system.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart representing an example sequence of operation fora roasting system.

FIG. 4 is a graphical representation of an example of a roasting profileincluding graphs of temperature (solid) and humidity (dashed) versustime.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart representing a process that can take place duringa roasting operation.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart depicting an example method by which a controllermodulates temperatures for catalytic converter and roasting chamber fora given operating mode, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram schematic of a second embodiment of a roastingsystem.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an embodiment of an embodiment of a method forstarting up the system of FIG. 7 .

SUMMARY

In an aspect of the disclosure, a bean roasting system includes aroasting chamber, a plurality of components, a drum bypass valve, and acontroller. The roasting chamber has a gas inlet and a gas outletcoupled to a recirculating gas flow path. During operation, gas flowsout of the gas outlet, through the recirculating gas flow path, and backto the gas inlet. The plurality of components are fluidically coupled toand at least partially define the recirculating gas flow path. Theplurality of components includes a cyclonic separator, one or moreheaters, a catalytic converter, and a main blower. The drum bypass valvecouples the main blower to the cyclonic separator while bypassing theroasting chamber. The controller is configured to at least control astate of the one or more heaters and the drum bypass valve to define aplurality of operating states. The operating states are defined bytemperatures of at least the roasting chamber.

In one implementation, the one or more heaters includes a main heaterand an auxiliary heater. The main heater can be fluidically coupledbetween the cyclonic separator and the catalytic converter. Theauxiliary heater can be fluidically coupled between the main blower andthe roasting chamber gas inlet. The controller can be configured toseparately control a state of the main heater and a state of theauxiliary heater to define the plurality of operating states.

In another implementation, the main blower is coupled between thecatalytic converter and the roasting chamber. The controller can beconfigured to control a state of the main blower to define the pluralityof operating states.

In yet another implementation the system includes an inlet valve andblower unit coupled between an ambient air inlet port and the roastingchamber. The inlet valve and blower unit provides added ambient air tothe main blower to replace air that is released from the system.

In a further implementation one of the operating modes is a startupoperating mode in which the drum bypass valve is closed or diverts lessthan 10 percent of a gas flow from the main blower to the cyclonicseparator. This allows most or all of heat from the main heater toquickly raise a temperature of the roasting chamber.

In a yet further implementation one of the operating modes has the drumbypass valve diverting 50 to 90% of air from the main blower to thecyclonic separator. This allows the main heater to more rapidly raise atemperature of the catalytic converter.

In a second aspect of the disclosure, a bean roasting system includes aroasting chamber, a plurality of components, a drum bypass valve, and acontroller. The roasting chamber has a gas inlet and a gas outletcoupled to a recirculating gas flow path. Gas flows out of the gasoutlet, through the recirculating gas flow path, and back to the gasinlet. The plurality of components are fluidically coupled to and atleast partially define the recirculating gas flow path. The plurality ofcomponents includes a cyclonic separator, a main heater, a catalyticconverter, a main blower, and an auxiliary heater. Along therecirculating gas flow path, gas flows out of the roasting chamberthrough the gas outlet, through the cyclonic separator, through the mainheater, through the catalytic converter, through the main blower,through the auxiliary heater, and back into the roasting chamber throughthe gas inlet. The drum bypass valve couples the main blower to thecyclonic separator. The drum bypass valve diverts a percentage of theair flow from the main blower to the cyclonic separator while bypassingthe roasting chamber. The percentage can vary from zero to 90 percent.The controller individually controls some or all of the plurality ofcomponents to effect or produce operating states. Operating states aredefined in part by various parameters including two or more of aroasting chamber temperature, a catalytic converter temperature, and aflow rate of gas through the roasting chamber.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematic of a first embodiment of a roastingsystem 2, according to an embodiment. Roasting system 2 includes aroasting chamber 4 having a gas outlet 6 and a gas inlet 8. A gasconduit 10, in combination with other relevant components discussedbelow, defines a recirculating gas flow path (referenced hereininterchangeably as gas conduit 10 or recirculating gas flow path 10) andis coupled to and includes the roasting chamber 4. The recirculating gasflow path 10 performs a number of functions including removing debrisand noxious gases from the roasting process and regulating a temperatureof the roasting chamber 4. The roasting system 2 also includes a beanhopper 12 for a loading unroasted beans before they are inputted to theroasting chamber 4. Between the bean hopper 12 and the roasting chamber4 is a load valve 14 for releasing the beans from the hopper 12 into theroasting chamber 4. An unload valve 16 is for releasing the beans to abean cooling system (not shown).

During operation of the roasting system 2 a flow stream 18 of gas isestablished in the recirculating gas flow path 10 from the gas outlet 6to the gas inlet 8 of the roasting chamber 4. After leaving the gasoutlet 6 the flow stream 18 passes to a cyclonic separator 20, whichremoves debris from the gas flow stream 18 that is collected below thecyclonic separator 20.

The flow stream 18 then passes to a variable diverter 22. Variablediverter 22 splits the gas flow path 10 into at least two flow pathsegments including a treated flow path segment 24 and a bypass flowsegment 26. The variable diverter 22 controls a “bypass percentage,”which is a percentage of the flow stream 18 that is diverted into thebypass flow segment 26. The bypass percentage can be varied between zeropercent to 100 percent of the mass flow of the flow stream 18. When thebypass percentage is zero then all of the mass flow of the flow stream18 is flowing through the treated flow path segment 24. When the bypasspercentage is X, then 100−X percent of the mass flow of the flow streamis passing through the treated flow segment 24 and X percent of the massflow of the flow stream 18 is passing through the bypass flow segment26. When the bypass percentage is 100, then all of the mass flow of theflow stream 18 is passing through the bypass flow segment 26.

The treated flow segment 24 includes a heater 28 and a catalyticconverter 30 in a fluidic series. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 ,the heater 28 is the main heater 28 for the catalytic converter 30 andthe roasting chamber 4. The catalytic converter 30 has an operatingtemperature (referred to as a catalyst temperature T_(CT)) that is usedfor catalysis. A catalyst temperature T_(CT) is typically in a range of500 to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. On the other hand, the roasting chamber4 has a roasting chamber temperature T_(RC) that can vary between 150and 500 degrees Fahrenheit depending upon a desired roasting process anda step within the process.

The bypass flow segment 26 is coupled to a mixing chamber 32 (alsoreferred to herein as a junction 32). The mixing chamber 32 (junction32) defines the point at which the separated or split flow pathsrecombine into one flow path. Between the junction 32 and the gas inlet8 of the roasting chamber 4 is a main blower 34.

Coupled to the bypass flow segment 26 is an inlet component 36 to allowambient air to enter the recirculating gas flow path 10. The inletcomponent 36 includes an inlet control valve and inlet blower coupled inseries to allow and force ambient air into the recirculating gas flowpath 10. Coupled to the mixing chamber 32 is a outlet component 38 torelease gas from the recirculating gas flow path 10 to the ambientenvironment. The outlet component 38 includes an outlet control valve, acondenser, and a filter in series.

The roasting system 2 employs various sensors 40 including temperaturesensors T. These sensors 40 are utilized to enable a closed loop controlof various processes within the roasting system 2.

In alternative embodiments the bypass flow segment can include anauxiliary heating and/or cooling temperature modulator 44. In anotheralternative embodiment the main blower 34 can be located at otherlocations in the recirculating gas flow path 10 or multiple blowers canbe employed. In yet another alternative embodiment, the inlet component36 may be integrated into the mixing chamber, and the outlet component38 may be moved to a point in the fluid flow path that is immediatelyafter the catalytic converter.

FIG. 2 is an electrical block diagram of the roasting system 2 of FIG. 1. Some reference numbers in FIG. 2 correspond to reference numbers inFIG. 1 . Roasting system 2 includes a controller 42 that receivessignals from sensors 40 and provides control signals to variouscomponents including valves 14 and 16, variable diverter 22, main heater28, main blower 34, inlet component 36, outlet component 38, andoptionally an auxiliary temperature modulator 44 (providing heatingand/or cooling).

Controller 40 includes a processor 46 coupled to an information storagedevice 48. The information storage device 48 includes a non-transient ornon-volatile storage device (e.g., non-transitory processor-readablemedium) storing software (e.g., instructions) that, when executed byprocessor 46, controls the various components of roasting system 2 andprovides functions for which the controller 42 is configured. Thecontroller 42 can be a located at one location or distributed amongmultiple locations in roasting system 2. For example, controller 42 canbe disposed within a housing (not shown) of roasting system 2 and/or ahousing of an appropriate component of roasting system 22 such as ahousing of the variable diverter 22. The controller can be electricallyand/or wirelessly linked to the various components of roasting system 2.

The controller 42 is configured to define and activate a plurality ofdifferent predetermined or predefined operating modes. Each operatingmode can define a step or process in a sequence of steps and processesthat are executed during the operation of the roasting system 2. Anexample sequence will be described with respect to FIG. 3 .

A particular operating mode can be defined, for example, in part by atime duration and a state of various components of the roasting system2. States that are directly controlled are those of components thatreceive direct control signals from the controller 42. Examples ofdirectly controlled states include the bypass percentage of the variablediverter 22, an output power of the main heater 28, an airflow rate ofthe main blower 34, and a control of the inlet and outlet components 36and 38 respectively. An optional example would be control of auxiliarytemperature modulator 44.

States that are indirectly determined are those states that are aconsequence of those states that are directly determined. These includea temperature of the roasting chamber 4 and an internal temperature ofthe catalytic converter 30. These temperatures are determined (andthereby indirectly controlled) through the control of the main heater28, the main blower 34, and the variable diverter 22.

Controller 42 reads signals or data from sensors 40 indicative ofvarious temperatures within the roasting system 2. These signals or datamay be indicative of a temperature of the roasting chamber 4, thecatalytic converter 30, or various portions of the recirculating flowpath 10. The controller 42 then modulates the directly controlled statesto maintain desired temperature set points.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart representing an example sequence of operation 50for the roasting system 2. Each step of the operational sequence isbased upon a predetermined operating mode an indicator for which isstored in controller 42. For each of these steps the controller 42controls various components as discussed with respect to FIG. 2 .

Step 52 represents an initial state of the roasting system 2 after ithas been off long enough to equilibrate with an ambient environment. Theheater power is zero, meaning that no power is being sent to main heater28. The main blower 34 is off. As a result the catalytic converter 30temperature and the roasting chamber 4 temperatures are both at ambienttemperature which can be about 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 54 represents a pre-heat mode for the roasting system 2. Thisoperational mode can have a time duration of about 30 minutes. Duringthis mode the power delivered to the main heater 28 is in a “high”state. In one implementation the power delivered to main heater 28 ismore than 75 percent or even 100 percent of the maximum power level thatis used for the main heater 28. The main blower 34 is operated in a“high” state. In one particular implementation the main blower 34 isoperated with a flow rate of 200 cubic feet per minute, and the bypasspercentage starts out at a low value or less than 10 percent or evenzero and then ramps up to bypass percentage of more than 50 percent,more than 75 percent or about 85 to 90 percent. In anotherimplementation, the bypass percentage is kept at a low value throughoutpreheat, and the blower speed is decreased as the system heats up inorder to reduce the delivery energy to various parts of the system. Inthis case, the heater temperature remains high, but the energy drawn andoutputted by the heater is lower due to the decrease in energytransport. During the pre-heat mode the temperature of the catalyticconverter 30 ramps up from ambient temperature to an effective catalytictemperature in a range of 500 to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. In oneimplementation the catalytic temperature is about 800 degreesFahrenheit. The roast chamber 4 temperature also ramps up to atemperature range to begin the roasting process. In one embodiment thistemperature is in a range of 300 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit or about 350degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 56 represents a standby mode that has an indeterminate duration.During this operational mode the power delivered to the main heater 28is in a “low” state. In one implementation the power delivered to heater28 is less than 50 percent in a range of about 5 to 15 percent of themaximum power level that is used for the main heater. This low mainheater 28 power is all that is used to maintain the catalytic converter30 temperature and the roasting chamber 4 temperature. In oneimplementation, the main blower is operated in a “low” state. In oneimplementation the main blower is operated with a flow rate of 100 cubicfeet per minute (CFM). In this case, the bypass percentage is more than50 percent, more than 75 percent, or in a range of about 85 to 90percent. In another implementation, the main blower operates at anoutput less than 100 cubic feet per minute (CFM), and the speed ismodulated to control the energy distribution throughout the system. Inthis case, the bypass percentage is kept low, around 0-10 percent. Inall cases, catalytic converter 30 temperature is in a range of 500 to1000 degrees Fahrenheit or about 800 degrees Fahrenheit. The roastingchamber 4 temperature is in a range of 300 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit orabout 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 58 represents an operational mode in which the valve 14 is openedto load beans from the hopper 12 to the roasting chamber 4. Thecomponent states for step 58 are the same as those of step 57 exceptthat the main blower is operated in a “high” state. In oneimplementation the main blower 34 is operated with a flow rate of 200cubic feet per minute.

Steps 60, 62, and 64 represent a complete cycle for bean roasting.During these steps the main blower 34 is operated in a “high” statewhich can be 200 cubic feet per minute. The combined time duration forsteps 60, 62, and 64 is about 10-15 minutes.

Step 60 is an operational mode for drying the beans, which can lastabout 1-3 minutes. The main heater 28 is operated with a “low” powerlevel, which can be in a range of 10 to 20 percent of maximum power. Thebypass percentage is in a range of 50 to 90 percent or about 71 percent.The catalyst temperature in a range of 500 to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit orabout 800 degrees Fahrenheit. The roast chamber 4 temperature is in arange of about 170 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit or about 175 degreesFahrenheit.

Step 62 is a “recovery ramp” mode during which the roasting chambertemperature is increased to a roasting development temperature. The“recovery ramp” mode can have a duration of about 3-6 minutes. The mainheater 28 is operated with a “high” power level which can be in a rangeof 75 to 100 percent of maximum power. The bypass percentage is in arange of zero to 10 percent so that some gas having a higher temperaturefrom the main heater 28 is directed to the roasting chamber 4. As aresult, the roasting chamber temperature increases to a roastingdevelopment temperature, which can be about 390 degrees Fahrenheit.During step 62 the catalyst temperature may fall to about 650 degreesFahrenheit.

Step 64 is a roasting development mode during which the temperature ofthe roasting chamber 4 is increased. The roasting development mode has aduration of about 3 minutes. The main heater 28 is operated with a “low”power that can be 20 to 30 percent of maximum power. The bypasspercentage is in a range of 50 to 100 percent or about 76 percent. Thebypass percentage can be increased while the heater input is decreasedduring this mode. The roasting chamber 4 temperature increases fromabout 390 degrees Fahrenheit to about 460 degrees Fahrenheit. Thecatalyst temperature increases from about 650 degrees Fahrenheit toabout 750 degrees Fahrenheit. Also as part of this mode, the inlet 36and outlet 38 components are operated to allow a one to five percent gasexchange with the ambient air environment.

During step 66 the valve 16 is opened to drop the roasted beans into acooling chamber. During step 68 the beans are cooled and the systemstates are returned to those of the standby mode of step 56 after apreheating operation.

As a note, the specific states described above with respect to FIG. 3can vary depending on a desired “roasting profile.” In particular, theroasting chamber 4 temperature states are a function of such a roastingprofile. Thus, the described sequence 50 can have variations in terms ofcomponent states and the temperatures indicated with respect to FIG. 3are examples for a particular roasting profile or set of roastingprofiles.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the sensors 40 can include humidity (designated H)and oxygen (designated O₂) sensors. The controller 42 can useinformation from these sensors to track progress of the roasting steps60-64 (of FIG. 3 ). As a unique example, the controller 42 can inferinformation about the roast process by analyzing the humidity versustime of gas that is exiting the outlet 6 of the roasting chamber 4.

A milestone event during roasting steps 60-64 is a “first crack” of thebeans. Once this begins, the remaining time and temperature of theroasting profile can be more accurately determined. The added time andtemperature is dependent on the type of roast (e.g., light roast versusfull French roast).

FIG. 4 is a graph of an example of temperature and humidity versus time.The dashed line represents the humidity versus time curve; the solidline represents the humidity temperature versus time curve. The valuesin this graph are generated using sensors 40 that are placed at orproximate to the outlet 6 of the roasting chamber 4. As shown, arelatively sharp peak in the graph of humidity versus time correspondsto the “first crack” milestone of the roasting development step 64. Thispeak in the humidity curve can be a factor in deciding subsequent stepsin the roasting process.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart depicting an example roasting process 70. Roastingprocess 70 can be similar to and/or preformed in conjunction with theroasting steps 60-64 except that it incorporates additional operations.According to step 72, the humidity is monitored by the H sensor 40 atthe outlet 6 of roasting chamber 4. As part of step 72, the controller42 analyzes the graph of humidity versus time (or an equivalent such asa look-up table stored in memory, an equation presenting thehumidity-time curve) to identify rapid changes in a magnitude of theslope and a localized maximum.

According to step 74, a humidity peak is identified. This corresponds tothe “first crack” of the beans. This identification of the humidity peakindicates a certain progress of the roasting process 70.

According to step 76, a response or action is activated in response tothe identification of the first crack milestone. This can take anynumber of forms.

In one implementation the roast development duration is automaticallyadjusted based upon the milestone identification and a desired roasttype. In this implementation parameters such as the heater power,airflow, and/or bypass percentages can also be adjusted.

In another implementation an alert can be automatically sent to a personwho is responsible for the roasting operation. For example, this can bea message wirelessly sent to a mobile device that is utilized by theperson. The message can provide an option for the person to adjust theroast profile based upon the timing of the milestone.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart depicting an example method 80 by which thecontroller 42 modulates temperatures for the catalytic converter 30 andthe roasting chamber 4 for a given operating mode. As discussed above,the catalytic converter 30 temperature T_(CT) can be maintained at anoptimum temperature for catalysis that tends not to change as a functionof an operating mode of the roasting system 2. On the other hand, theroast chamber 4 temperature T_(RC) is a function of the operating mode.

According to step 82 the method 80 begins with a receipt of operatingparameters for an operating mode including a specified roast chambersetting T_(RC). The method 80 then includes two independent temperaturecontrol loops that can be executed concurrently. An example catalyticconverter 30 temperature T_(CT) control loop is depicted by steps 84 to88. An example roasting chamber 4 temperature control loop is depictedby steps 90 to 94.

According to step 84 a temperature T_(CT) of the catalytic converter 30is monitored. As part of step 84, the controller 42 receives temperatureT_(CT) data for the catalytic converter 30 from a temperature sensor 40that is within or proximate to or receiving air exiting from thecatalytic converter 30.

According to step 86 a determination is made as to whether thetemperature T_(CT) of the catalytic converter 30 is within a specifiedrange. This specified temperature range is within an overall temperaturerange of for example 500 to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. In oneimplementation the specified temperature range is narrower and centeredaround a temperature of about for example 800 degrees Fahrenheit. If thetemperature T_(CT) of the catalytic converter 30 deviates from thespecified range, then the method 80 proceeds to step 88. According tostep 88 a power delivered to the main heater 28 is adjusted tocounteract the temperature deviation determined in step 86. As part ofstep 88 the controller 42 sends a control signal to adjust a power inputto the heater 28. Then steps 84 and 86 are repeated. When according tostep 86 the temperature T_(CT) of the catalytic converter 30 is withinthe specified range, the loop proceeds to step 84 to continue monitoringthe temperature T_(CT) of the catalytic converter 30.

According to step 90 a temperature T_(RC) of the roasting chamber 4 ismonitored. As part of step 90, the controller 42 receives temperatureT_(RC) data for the roasting chamber 4 from a temperature sensor 40 thatis either within or proximate to or receiving air exiting from roastingchamber 4.

According to step 92 a determination is made as to whether thetemperature T_(RC) of the roasting chamber 4 is within a specifiedrange. This specified range is based upon the specified roast chambertemperature setting T_(RC) for the current operating mode from step 82.If the temperature T_(RC) of the roasting chamber 4 deviates from thespecified range, then the method 80 proceeds to step 94.

According to step 94, the variable diverter 22 is adjusted to counteractthe deviation. As part of step 94 the controller 42 sends a controlsignal to the variable diverter 22. In response to the control signal,the variable diverter 22 increases or decreases the bypass percentage.For example, if the temperature is too high then the bypass percentagewill be increased. Then steps 90 and 92 are repeated. When according tostep 92 the temperature T_(RC) of the roasting chamber 4 is within thespecified range, the loop proceeds to step 90 to continue monitoring thetemperature T_(RC) of the roasting chamber 4.

The two temperature control loops for the catalytic converter 30 and theroasting chamber 4 continue independently of each other from theperspective of a control system operation. However, they do have anindirect dependency. When the heater 28 is adjusted according to step 88this will impact the temperature T_(RC) of the roasting chamber 4. Thenthe control loop for the roasting chamber 4 will most likely need torespond.

FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of a second embodiment of a roastingsystem 100. Roasting system 100 is similar to roasting system 2 exceptthat certain components have been added or reconfigured to addadditional flexibility in defining operating modes. Thus, thepreviously-described operating modes can all be defined and effectedusing system 100.

System 100 includes a roasting chamber 102 that is fluidically coupledto a recirculating gas flow path 104. The roasting chamber 102 has a gasinlet 106 and a gas outlet 108. Recirculating gas passes out of the gasoutlet 108, through the recirculating gas flow path 104, and to the gasinlet 106.

A plurality of components 110-120 at least partially define therecirculating gas flow path 104 including a cyclonic separator 110, amain heater 112, a catalytic converter 114, a mixing device or chamber116, a main blower 118, and an auxiliary heater 120. In the illustratedembodiment, gas flows out of the gas outlet 108, through the cyclonicseparator 110, through the main heater 112, through the catalyticconverter 114, through the mixing device 116, through the main blower118, through the auxiliary heater 120, and back to the gas inlet 106.

The plurality of components 110-120 are coupled to the recirculating gasflow path 104. Being coupled to the gas flow path 104 means that the gasflow path 104 individually and sequentially passes through thecomponents 110-120. FIG. 7 depicts a particular sequence, but othersequences are possible and may provide the same function. Compared tothe system 2 of FIG. 1 , the system 100 of FIG. 7 provides an addedability to define operating modes.

A drum bypass valve 122 defines a bypass recirculating gas flow path 124that bypasses the roasting chamber 102. The bypass valve 122 diverts apercentage of the gas flow received from the main blower 118 (e.g., fromzero to up to 90 percent). In the illustrated embodiment, the bypassvalve 122 directly couples the main blower 118 to the cyclonic separator110.

An inlet valve and blower unit 126 couples an ambient inlet port 128 tothe main blower 118. This allows outside ambient air to enter system 100to replace air that exits system 100.

A bean hopper 130 is coupled to the roasting chamber 102 by valve 132for initially dispensing beans into the roasting chamber 102. After aroasting process takes place, the beans can be transferred to a coolingchamber 134. During a cooling process, air from the cooling chamber 134can be routed through various components including a final filter 136before being ejected into an outside atmosphere. The exit of air fromthe final filter 136 is offset by the air received by the inlet valveand blower unit 126.

A controller 140 is controllably coupled to components of the system 100including any or all of roasting chamber 102, cyclonic separator 110,main heater 112, catalytic converter 114, main blower 118, auxiliaryheater 120, drum by pass valve 122, inlet valve and blower unit 126,bean hopper 130, valve 132, sensors T and/or other components. Thecontroller 140 includes a processor 142 coupled to an informationstorage unit 144. The information storage unit 144 includes anon-transient or non-volatile storage device (e.g., non-transitoryprocessor-readable medium) storing software instructions. When executedby the processor 142, the software instructions operate components ofsystem 100 during a bean roasting process. The operation includesoperation of a plurality of the components of system 100 to effectdifferent operating modes. The different operating modes can be at leastpartly defined by a temperature of the roasting chamber 102 and/or thecatalytic converter 114.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method 150 for starting upsystem 100. According to 152, system 100 has components that are coolerthan is desirable during operation. Controller 140 receives operatingparameters such as a bean development roasting temperature. According to154, controller 140 monitors signals from temperature sensors (T). “Step154” actually occurs continuously during further steps and operations.

According to 156, the roasting chamber 102 is raised to a specifiedoperating temperature. During 156, the drum bypass valve 122 is eitherclosed or diverts less than 10 percent of a flow of gas from the mainblower 118. The main heater 112 and auxiliary heater 120 can operate atnear full power levels to maximize the temperature rate increase ofroasting chamber 102.

According to 158, the roasting chamber 102 is at or near the specifiedoperating temperature. During 158, the drum bypass valve 122 is openedto divert 50 to 90 percent of the gas flow from main blower 118 directlyto the cyclonic separator 110. Then, the main heater 112 can be used tofurther raise a temperature of the catalytic converter 114 (which hadbeen partially raised during 156) until it reaches a desired operationtemperature. During 158, the auxiliary heater 120 is primarily used tomaintain the roasting chamber 102 at the desired operating temperature.

Earlier-discussed methods such as method 50 of FIG. 3 can apply tosystem 100. Compared to system 2, system 100 has more degrees of freedomand to provide various temperature-related operating modes. Thus, withsystem 100, all operating modes previously discussed are enabled.

The specific embodiments and applications thereof described above arefor illustrative purposes only and do not preclude modifications andvariations encompassed by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed:
 1. A non-transitory processor-readable mediumcomprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause theprocessor to: receive operating parameters for an operational mode for abean roasting system, the operational parameters including a temperaturerange for a roasting chamber; receive, from a first sensor, temperaturedata for a catalytic converter over a time period for the operationalmode; receive, from a second sensor, temperature data for the roastingchamber over the time period; determine, via a first control loop,whether the temperature data for the catalytic converter is outside of atemperature range for the catalytic converter; send a signal, via thefirst control loop, to a heater to adjust a temperature of the catalyticconverter in response to the temperature data for the catalyticconverter being outside of the temperature range for the catalyticconverter; determine, via a second control loop, whether the temperaturedata for the roasting chamber is outside of the temperature range forthe roasting chamber; and send a signal, via the second control loop, toa variable diverter to adjust a temperature of the roasting chamber inresponse to the temperature data for the roasting chamber being outsideof the temperature range for the roasting chamber.
 2. The non-transitoryprocessor-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising instructionswhich, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: receiveinformation representing a roasting profile, the roasting profileindicating the temperature range for the roasting chamber.
 3. Thenon-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein theoperational mode is included within a plurality of operational modes,each operational mode from the plurality of operational modes beingassociated with a temperature range for the roasting chamber from aplurality of temperature ranges for the roasting chamber.
 4. Thenon-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the secondcontrol loop and the first control loop are executed independently. 5.The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein theinstruction to send the signal, via the second control loop, to thevariable diverter includes an instruction to send the signal, via thesecond control loop, to the variable diverter to reduce the temperatureof the roasting chamber relative to the temperature of the catalyticconverter.
 6. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1,wherein the operational mode is included within a plurality ofoperational modes, each operational mode from the plurality ofoperational modes being associated with a state of the variablediverter, a state of the heater and a state of a main blower operativelycoupled to the variable diverter and the heater.
 7. The non-transitoryprocessor-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising instructionswhich, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: receive,from a third sensor, humidity data for the roasting chamber over thetime period; analyze the humidity data to identity roast characteristicsassociated with the roasting chamber; and send a signal to adjust theoperating parameters.
 8. The non-transitory processor-readable medium ofclaim 1, further comprising instructions which, when executed by aprocessor, cause the processor to: receive, from a third sensor,humidity data for the roasting chamber over the time period; analyze thehumidity data over time within the time period to identify a humiditypeak within the humidity data; and send a signal, in response toidentifying the humidity peak, to adjust the operating parameters. 9.The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, furthercomprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause theprocessor to: receive, from a third sensor, humidity data for theroasting chamber over the time period; send a message to a mobiledevice, via a user interface of the mobile device, based on the humiditydata; receive a message from the mobile device, via the user interfaceof the mobile device and in response to the message sent to the mobiledevice, a user selection indicating a change associated with theoperating parameters; send a signal to adjust the operating parametersbased on the user selection.
 10. A non-transitory processor-readablemedium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor,cause the processor to: receive operating parameters for an operationalmode for a bean roasting system, the operational parameters including atemperature range for a roasting chamber; receive, from a first sensor,temperature data for the roasting chamber over a time period for theoperational mode; determine, via a control loop, whether the temperaturedata for the roasting chamber is outside of the temperature range forthe roasting chamber; send a signal, via the control loop, to a variablediverter to adjust a temperature of the roasting chamber in response tothe temperature data for the roasting chamber being outside of thetemperature range for the roasting chamber; receive, from a secondsensor, humidity data for the roasting chamber within the time period;analyze the humidity data to identity roast characteristics associatedwith the roasting chamber; and send a signal to adjust the operatingparameters within the time period.
 11. The non-transitoryprocessor-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructionswhich, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: receiveinformation representing a roasting profile, the roasting profileindicating the temperature range for the roasting chamber.
 12. Thenon-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 10, wherein theoperational mode is included within a plurality of operational modes,each operational mode from the plurality of operational modes beingassociated with a temperature range for the roasting chamber from aplurality of temperature ranges for the roasting chamber.
 13. Thenon-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 10, wherein thecontrol loop is a first control loop, the non-transitoryprocessor-readable medium further comprising instructions which, whenexecuted by a processor, cause the processor to: send a signal, via asecond control loop, to the variable diverter to reduce the temperatureof the roasting chamber relative to the temperature of a catalyticconverter that is operatively coupled to the variable diverter and theroasting chamber, the second control loop and the first control loopbeing executed independently.
 14. The non-transitory processor-readablemedium of claim 10, wherein the operational mode is included within aplurality of operational modes, each operational mode from the pluralityof operational modes being associated with a state of the variablediverter, a state of a heater and a state of a main blower operativelycoupled to the variable diverter and the heater.
 15. The non-transitoryprocessor-readable medium of claim 10, wherein: the instruction toanalyze the humidity data includes an instruction to analyze thehumidity data over time within the time period to identify a humiditypeak within the humidity data; and the instruction to send the signal toadjust the operating parameters includes an instruction to send thesignal to adjust the operating parameters in response to identifying thehumidity peak.
 16. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim10, further comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor,cause the processor to: send a message to a mobile device, via a userinterface of the mobile device, based on the humidity data; and receivea message from the mobile device, via the user interface of the mobiledevice and in response to the message sent to the mobile device, a userselection indicating a change associated with the operating parameters;the instruction to send the signal to adjust the operating parametersincludes an instruction send the signal to adjust the operatingparameters based on the user selection.
 17. A non-transitoryprocessor-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executedby a processor, cause the processor to: receive operating parameters foran operational mode for a bean roasting system, the operationalparameters including a temperature range for a roasting chamber; receivetemperature data for a catalytic converter over a time period for theoperational mode; receive temperature data for the roasting chamber overthe time period; determine, via a closed loop temperature control,whether the temperature data for the catalytic converter is outside of atemperature range for the catalytic converter and whether thetemperature data for the roasting chamber is outside of the temperaturerange for roasting chamber; send, via the closed loop temperaturecontrol, at least one of a signal to a heater or a signal to a variablediverter to reduce a temperature of the roasting chamber relative to atemperature of the catalytic converter, in response to at least one ofthe temperature data for the catalytic converter being outside of thetemperature range for the catalytic converter or the temperature datafor the roasting chamber being outside of the temperature range for theroasting chamber.
 18. The non-transitory processor-readable medium ofclaim 17, further comprising instructions which, when executed by aprocessor, cause the processor to: receive information representing aroasting profile, the roasting profile indicating the temperature rangefor the roasting chamber.
 19. The non-transitory processor-readablemedium of claim 17, wherein the operational mode is included within aplurality of operational modes, each operational mode from the pluralityof operational modes being associated with a temperature range for theroasting chamber from a plurality of temperature ranges for the roastingchamber.
 20. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 17,wherein the operational mode is included within a plurality ofoperational modes, each operational mode from the plurality ofoperational modes being associated with a state of the variablediverter, a state of the heater and a state of a main blower operativelycoupled to the variable diverter and the heater.